Give Me Hope In The Darkness That I Will See The Light
by alphayamergo
Summary: TNotD spoilers. AU: Clara takes a break from saving the Doctor to save River instead. ElevenxRiver. Oneshot.


**BECAUSE I JUST CAN'T GET OVER THE NAME OF THE DOCTOR AND POOR RIVER'S FATE. YESTERDAY WAS BOTH A BEAUTIFUL AND AWFUL DAY TO BE A DOCTOR/RIVER SHIPPER.**

**The title comes from the Mumford and Songs song 'Ghosts That We Knew'. It's a good song. You should listen to it. After you finish reading this, that is.**

**I do not own Doctor Who, sadly. The BBC does. You can rest assured that if I did, there would not be nearly so many tears.**

…**Or maybe there would, because I think I have a little bit of Moffat in me.**

The darkness surrounding the small room was near absolute. But the girl managed to walk through it, her dark hair matching the dimmed lighting, without flinching. She had no fear of it, not at the moment: the Doctor had made a deal with the Vashta Nerada. The parasites wouldn't harm her. Not today.

The woman inside looked up as she pushed the door open. "What on earth are you doing here?" asked River Song. "Who _are_ you? How did you get here?"

"It's…" Clara hesitated. "It's a long story, Professor Song. But you'll know, someday. You'll know the answer to _all_ of that. But there's not time – the Doctor will be awake soon, and we've got things to do." She glanced down at the limp form of the Time Lord with amusement, wishing that she could someday tease him about it.

"What things?" asked River warily. Clara smiled – a bright flash of light within the seriousness that permeated the room.

"Saving the life of four thousand and twenty four people, of course," said Clara brightly.

"Four?" inquired River. "There were four thousand and twenty two people saved on this planet. Who else are you including?" River's eyes were suspicious, and Clara felt a flash of sadness as she realized that River Song would never come to know her as a friend. Not even in the original time line – that River had been dead. This River would live, but she wouldn't.

"You and the Doctor, of course." Clara met River's eyes calmly. "I'm taking your place."

"What - ? No!" exclaimed River. "_No._ I won't allow someone else to die for me. Besides," she added, "this is my time. Right now – I can tell."

"Because you're a Time Lady who can see the strands of time," said Clara, nodding in acknowledgement. "Want to know a secret, Professor Song? So was I. Twice, in fact. And it's not a fixed point, is it? The only way that this could _possibly_ be a fixed point is because I already know you're supposed to die that. But I've spent a few hundred lifetimes subverting lots of things I _know_ happened."

River's mouth had opened slightly, into that small 'O' shape all people make after they've been completely and utterly blindsided. "What…?"

"I'm saving you, River." Clara's voice was firm. "I'm saving you because saving you means that I save the Doctor, I'm sure, considering all the times you've saved him. He'll need you at some point other than just the times you've spent with him."

"How can I let you die for me when I don't even know your name? How can I let _anyone_ die for me?" demanded River fiercely.

"My name's Clara Oswald, if that's what you're worried about," said Clara. "River, _please_. This is my purpose, you know. To save the Doctor. I'm taking a sort-of break at the moment and saving you instead. But you mustn't tell him. He can't know about me. Not yet. He can't hear about his impossible girl until he meets me." She stepped forwards and, gently, took the cord from River. "Please, River, let me save you."

River shook her head, reaching out to take the cord back. Clara held it away from her, gripping it firmly with two hands. "Establish a link with me. One of your psychic links, and I'll _show_ you, and you'll have one more spoiler to hold on to." They locked eyes for a long moment before River nodded, stepped forwards, and placed her fingers on the sides of Clara's temple.

River whispered, "Hold still - " and then Clara felt the invasive presence in her mind. She resisted the urge to flinch, but River was only there for a moment. In a heartbeat, River had stumbled backwards, shock written all over her face.

"Let me now," whispered Clara.

And, finally, River nodded. "Okay."

* * *

"There has to be another way. Use the TARDIS. Use anything! Save her, yes, but for God's sake, be sensible!"

Out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor spotted River raising her hand to slap him. After several centuries of being married to her, he'd had his reflexed honed enough to be able to spin and grab her hand before the hit connected. River's eyes went wide, amazed. And at the same moment, behind them, there were gasps.

"How are you even doing that? I'm not really here," said River in a shaky voice.

"Professor Song!" Jenny cried.

"Is this another one if the Great Intelligence's tricks?" demanded Vastra, a hint of a snarl in her voice.

"Shall I smash her brains out, ma'am?" Strax asked at the same moment as the other three was speaking. The muddle of voices made it difficult to differentiate them, but the Doctor couldn't help but smirk, amused, at Strax's comment. He softened his grip on River's arm, trusting she wouldn't attempt to slap him again.

"You are _always_ here to me," he said quietly, but with an intensity to it no one else could bring about, "and I always listen and I can _always_ see you."

"They can see me, too," whispered River. "But how - " River broke out with a cry, her hands flying to clutch her head. It was at the same moment that the Doctor stumbled back against the railing, almost collapsing.

"Doctor!" shouted Vastra and Jenny. "What's happening?" asked Jenny.

"Oh," said River. "_Oh._ Clara, that clever, clever girl -"

"My memories," explained the Doctor, his breath coming in short, desperate gasps. "They're changing. So are River's. Clara – she's saving River, she's taking River's place in the library."

"Your impossible girl, Doctor," said River, stepping forwards, relaxing her arms so they fell back to her side. She reached out and grasped the Doctor's hands with her own. "She's _brilliant._ She saved me. I didn't think that was possible."

"That means you're alive," said the Doctor, gazing at River, his eyes giant with wonder. He stroked her cheek gently, as if she could disappear at any moment, or become a data ghost again. "You're _alive._ Oh, _River._" He cradled River's head in his hands and leant down to kiss her.

Oh, how he'd missed the familiar feeling of her lips against his! He'd thought he'd never experience it again, but River was here, she was _alive_, and he could do it as often as he wanted again. River responded eagerly to his kiss, wrapping her hands around his neck and pulling him a little closer. But all too soon he pulled away, reminding himself that he could do it again sometime, thanks to Clara.

"We need to save Clara," he reminded her.

"I'm going with you," she replied firmly.

"As if there was any doubt," he replied with a smirk.

She took his hand, and they stepped into the swirling vortex together.


End file.
